Propeller puller



P. KELLY PROPELLER FULLER Feb. 4, 1936.

Filed June 8, 1935 ill Elma/1m .Paul Kell Patented Feb. 4, 1936 STTESE PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in propeller pullers and pertains more particularly to devices for removing propellers from the power shafts of ships or the like. However, it will be apparent that samemay be readily adapted for removing all types of bearings or wheels from their supporting shafts.

Heretofore, in removing propellers from the power shafts of ships, great difficulty has been experienced in preventing bending or distortion of said shafts. Furthenthe' operation of removing the propeller from the power shaft has been attended by great danger to the persons engaged in such undertaking, due to the fact that after the propeller has been initially loosened, no positive means has been employed to prevent the pulling devices and the propeller from slipping completely from the shaft and consequently in a great many instances results in serious injury to the persons so employed.

The primary important object of this invention is to provide a device of the above character having associated therewith a positive means for retaining the propeller upon the shaft after the same has been loosened from its support.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a device of the above character which will definitely eliminate the possibility of bending or distorting the power shaft during the op-' eration of removing the propeller therefrom.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a device of the above character which positively eliminates the necessity of additional labor interiorly of the ship, which latter is a necessary consequence of the devices in use at the present time.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a device of the above character which is characterized by extreme simplicity and which by its construction reduces the possibility of wear upon its several elements, to a minimum.

A still further object of this invention is to pro vide a device of the above character which is of simple construction and one which may be readily manufactured and placed upon the market at a reasonable cost.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages will be readily apparent throughout the course of the following detailed specification and drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of the device as initially applied during the process of removing a propeller from its supporting shaft, the propeller hub being also shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device as applied to a propeller, the blades of the latter being broken away,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the puller arms,

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view partly broken away, of the power bar to which the puller arms 5 are connected, and

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the propeller hub stop member.

Referring in detail to the drawing, A generally designates a portion of the protruding end of a power shaft of a ship which supports the hub B of a screw propeller. The free end of the power shaft A is provided with a reduced thread ed portion C for supporting theusual propeller locking means (not shown). 5

The propeller puller consists of a hollow stop member l provided with internal machined screw threads adapted to engage the correspondingly threaded end C of the propeller shaft. Threaded axially through the closed end of the stop member I are a pair of spaced locking pins 2-2, the inner ends of which latter are adapted to engage the face portion of the end of the power shaft A whereby to lock the stop member 1 against retrograde movement during the operation to be later described. The stop member I is further provided upon its exterior surface with left or right hand square type threads 3.

A hollow power nut 4 is correspondingly threaded interiorly to engage the threads 3 of the stop member I. The power nut 4 is longitudinally grooved as at 5 for the reception of a spanner wrench (not shown) The power nut 4 is further provided with a centrally located and axially extending opening 6 therethrough formed to receive a guide pin 1, the latter being rigidly mountedintermediate the ends of a power bar 8. The pin 1 is threaded for a predetermined distance adjacent its inner end for receiving a correspondingly threaded bearing disc 9 formed of bronze or other wear-resistin material, against which the outer face of the power nut abuts.

The power bar 8 is provided adjacent each of its ends with transverse openings l 0. Extending through each of the openings I0 is a puller arm ll, each of which is provided adjacent its free end with a transverse opening l2 therethrough for the reception of a key l3 to limit the separat- 50 ing movement of the puller arms H and bar 8 in one direction. The arms H are curved as shown to conformably engage with the outer surface of the hub B and are provided at their opposite free ends with inwardly extending detachable lugs M for engagement within the usual recess I5 of the propeller hub.

In operation, when it is desired to remove a propeller from its supporting shaft, the usual propeller retaining member (not shown) is removed from the screw threaded end C of the shaft A and in its place is substituted the stop member I, which latter is threaded inwardly a predetermined distance upon said shaft until its inner face is brought torest spaced a predetermined distance from the outer face of the hub B. To prevent retrograde movement of the stop member I, the locking pins 22 are threaded inwardly until their inner ends forcibly engage with and. bite into the the free end face of the power shaft. The hollow nut 4 is then. threaded upon the stop member I to the. limit of its movement. The curved portions of the puller arms H are then disposed in opposed relation upon the hub B of the propeller with the inwardly extending lugs l4 engaging within the recess l5 of the hub. The power bar 8 with its guide pin. 1 is then brought into contact with the outer face of the power member 4 by directing the pin 7 into the opening 6 therein. In performing this latter operation the ends of the puller arms H are alined with and directed through the corresponding openings Ill of the power bar, whereby a portion of the openings. I2 in the outer ends of the puller arms H are extended a suitable distance beyond the outer face of the power bar to receive the locking keys It so as to secure the assembly in. position upon the propeller to be removed. A spanner wrench (not shown) is then engaged with any one or more of the grooves 5 in the power nut to back the latter from the stop member I. As the pressure incident to the removal of the power nut 4 from the stop member is applied to the bearing disc 9 and bar 8, the puller arms it through the lugs l4 exert sufficient force to cause the propeller to slide outwardly upon the shaft. The outward movement of the propeller continues until the outer face of its hub portion abuts against the inner face of the stop member I thereby limiting further outward movement of the propeller and consequently eliminating all danger of the propeller being forcibly projected from the shaft, against the body of the person performing the operation, which would consequently result in severe injury to the latter.

Where the invention has been disclosed in connection with a propeller for ships, I wish it expressly understood that this disclosure is entirely by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the form and disposition of the parts as applied to other types of bearings may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device of the character described for removing propellers or the like from their supporting shafts, including a stop member for removable support on said shaft, power means rotatable about and movable axially of said stop member and outwardly of the latter, and means for connecting the propeller and said power means whereby to move said propeller in an outward direction upon its shaft and against said stop member when the power means is moved outwardly upon said stop member.

2. In a device of the character described for removing propellers or the like from their supporting shafts, a stop member for removable support on the usual screw threaded end of said shaft, substantially U-shaped means having its bight portion spaced from the stop member and having its free ends detachably engaged with the hub of a propeller, and means caried by the stop member between the latter and the bight portion of the U-shaped means adapted to be moved outwardly against the bight portion of said U- shaped means whereby to move the latter and thereby the propeller in a direction axially of said shaft and against said stop member.

3. In a bearing puller for propellers or the like, a stop member, a power nut threadedly engaged with said stop member, and a U-shaped puller member having hooked ends, the bight portion of said U-shaped member being detachably engaged with said power nut.

4. In a bearing puller, a stop member, means to mount the member on the supporting shaft of the bearing, power means mounted over and having threaded engagement with said member, and means for connecting the bearing and said power means whereby to move the bearing in an outward direction upon its shaft against said member upon outward movement of the power means.

5. In a bearing puller, a stop member, means to mount the member on the supporting shaft of the bearing, means for engagement with the hearing, and power means independent of the bearing engaging means interposed between the bearing and a part of said bearing engaging means whereby to move the latter and the bearing outwardly of the shaft of the bearing upon operation of the power means.

6. In a bearing puller, a stop member, means to mount the member on the supporting shaft of the bearing, bearing engaging, means and power means connected to the stop member and being independent of and engaged with the bearing engaging means for exerting a pulling force on the bearing and a pushing force on the bearing engaging means.

7. In a bearing puller, a stop member, means to mount the stop member upon the supporting shaft of a bearing, a substantially U-shaped puller member having means on its legs to engage the bearing, and power means interposed between and engaged with the stop member and with the bight portion of the U-shaped member to force the latter away from the shaft of the bearing upon outward movement of the power means.

PAUL KELLY. 

